25-AUG-1993
12:02
BRITISH EMBASSY PEKING
532 1965
P.ur
pol/HK/nuc-spkg
questions.
IN CONFIDENCE
But meanwhile they declined to discuss these
on-site issues,
5.
The Hong Kong Government saw difficulties about providing the general guarantee demanded which would make it difficult for HKG to fulfil its responsibilities for the health and saftey of Hong Kong residents. However they proposed an early 6th Round to discuss further all the outstanding matters. We supported this proposal with Mr Chen Zengqing at a meeting on 7 May.
6. The Guangdong side eventually agreed to hold the 6th Round from 18-21 May. Further progress was made on off-site issues. The Guangdong side tabled a revised formula on confidentiality, but the Hong Kong Government was not able to agree to this. Instead it offered the Guangdong side written assurances that it would always act in a prudent and responsible way and proposed maximum co-ordination between the two sides on timing of information release. However the Guangdong side was not satisfied with these assurances and refused to engage in discussion of on-site questions pending agreement on the point, saying that such discussion would be meaningless.
7.
Since May, despite the urgency of the question, the Guangdong side have not been willing to hold further meetings with the Hong Kong Government, insisting that they must first give written agreement to the Guangdong proposal on confidentiality.
3. The Hong Kong Government have argued that this problem should not be an obstacle to discussion of other vital
matters and that it may be casier to resolve when the package
of information exchange arrangements is clearer; when Hong Kong can see what information the Guangdong side would wish
to treat as confidential and under what circumstances; and
whan it can ka netsklicked whether the Guangdong and central
authorities could provide certain assurances about their
approach.
IN CONFIDENCE